Deborah Tosline wrote and published Skin Remodeling DIY: An Introduction to the Underground World of Do-It-Yourself Skincare in 2015. Deborah's education and work experience is in science, where hypotheses are tested through observation and experiments. She has Bachelor of Science degrees in geology and ecology. Her approach to skin care is based on that scientific background, a love of research and over 30 years of DIY skincare experience.
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I began Do-It-Yourself (DIY) everything in my early 20s when I had little money. I was putting myself through college and barely hanging on. I had just enough money for rent, food, gas, and books. In addition, in about 1979, I began eating whole grains, whole foods and permanently eliminated fast foods. I chose to adopt a super healthy lifestyle to help myself feel good in the moment and to ensure that I would be able to work and take care of myself throughout my life. In 1990, I chose to eat 100 percent organic at home, which may be done economically but still increases food costs. My trade-off was to avoid buying material items.
Over time, I realized that I was saving tens of thousands of dollars using DIY practices and that I was living a premium lifestyle while on a budget.
When I did have access to extra funds, I remained cautious about spending money and always saved emergency funds and retirement funds first. Shopping would literally stress me out. As a result, I avoided stores and waited months or longer before making purchases. When I did buy goods, the thrift store was a salvation. Today, 95% of my wardrobe was obtained from thrift stores and I am fortunate to own beautiful, all natural fiber clothing of the best quality.
Even today, when I want to buy something, I may wait months to assess my needs and wants before I make a purchase.
Despite financial limitations and intentional with-holdings I always found a way to satisfy my basic needs and luxurious wants by learning how to make and do for myself.
I embrace and truly love DIY practices. I’ve made gifts, cards, food, furniture and rainwater harvesting landscapes. I practice DIY home remodeling, sewing, pottery, gardening, and especially skincare and self-care. DIY suits my introverted personal life, where I may be found absorbed in a book or creating whenever possible.
To me, constantly buying feels unnecessary, wasteful and it makes me nervous about maintaining a budget and saving for the future. In addition, I cherish the Earth. Every itty bitty inanimate object that I own is derived from the Earth. I honor the Earth and try not to be wasteful in an effort to reduce my footprint.
I’ve successfully practiced and enjoyed DIY in all areas of my life and I absolutely adore DIY skincare and self-care.
Active Ingredients
Again, I’ve saved tens of thousands of dollars and believe that I am using premium DIY skincare practices. Periodically, I’ll use an expensive cream or serum however, after decades of DIY, I have to say that I am typically a little disappointed with most retail skincare products and facials that I’ve purchased. Yet, after decades of practice, I am rarely disappointed and often pleasantly surprised by DIY skincare.
Once you use quality DIY skincare hacks, you never go backs.
DIY skincare practices result in multiple holistic benefits including:
1. Huge cost savings
A DIY 20% stabilized vitamin C serum costs a few dollars to make versus one-ounce of premium retail vitamin C serum for up to $120.
2. Time savings
Need more Niacinimide/Glucosamine serum? Order the ingredients online and have enough supplies for a year. Go to kitchen and make serum in 10 minutes.
3. Highest quality ingredients
Retail products often include undesirable ingredients and may not contain effective ingredient levels. With DIY, you know exactly what is in your products and the concentration of added active ingredients.
4. Reduce or eliminate exposure to synthetic chemicals
A product may be pervasive but this does not mean that it’s good for us. We succumb to diseases with unknown origins yet we are willing to smear synthetic chemicals all over ourselves and pay our hard earned cash for the supposed privilege! Use DIY to avoid/eliminate questionable ingredients.
5. Low environmental impacts
Buying a new container for every product every monthish for throw away or recycling is wasteful. Single use small packaging may be convenient but it is terrible for the environment and our pocketbooks. Please be thoughtful about how you use, consider, honor and waste Earth’s resources.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
6. Huge confidence builder
It can be tough to develop self-esteem in a world full of judgment.
In the privacy of your own home, you may experiment, take calculated risks, learn from failures and successes and prove your capabilities to yourself. With practice you’ll experience growth and these improvements will build your confidence to try everything!
7. Definitely increases quality-of-life
Graduate from non-existent or basic drugstore skincare to premium serums, lotions and creams. Make a matrixyl peptide cream to stimulate collagen synthesis or an herbal hydrosol or toner to hydrate and nourish skin.
Purchase a basic pure inexpensive cream and one active ingredient, blend, apply and promote healthy skin.
Wishing you could use Crème de la Mer (listed at $85 for 0.5 ounce to $2,160 for 16.5 ounces on a google search 8/6/2018). Instead, purchase sea kelp bioferment, a nutrient dense natural gel extract derived from sea kelp, and make the crème and so much more (hair gel! and add to all serums for luscious oomph!).
My DIY skincare is predominantly natural with additions that are not purely natural because they are concentrated. That is why I refer to it as advanced DIY skincare. I use natural products like Aloe Vera leaf often and hand-made creams purchased from small local suppliers. I also purchase single constituents, for example niacinimide, glucosamine, vitamin C powder, and matrixyl and add these to an existing cream or I make simple serums. In addition, I use tools and devices to augment my advanced skincare routine.
If you do not make any other product, I suggest mixing up a niacinamide/glucosamine serum. This is an easy and effective serum to reduce and prevent hyperpigmentation. Instead of buying one ounce for $10 to $15, buy the ingredients and make enough to use daily for a year!
I have never used and don’t see myself practicing skincare by injection; I am too lazy to attend regular appointments, too frugal to spend the money, and too healthful to want it.
Subcutaneous nutrient mesotherapy sounds intriguing although I would see a practitioner for that (smiles). I choose to maintain the health of my skin at the highest level using active ingredients and DIY advanced skincare practices.
Keep it fresh - stimulate and nourish your skin.
Over time extreme DIY skincare habits:
· save a heck of a lot of money - intentional redundancy,
· enable use of beautiful premium skincare,
· instill the knowledge that emerging skincare trends are accessible via DIY,
· allow one to use products and practices that are typically expensive while on a small budget,
· promote a low environmental impact.
Consider this: stop padding the pockets of corporations and retailers with your hard earned cash for products with unknown product concentrations and undesirable synthetic ingredients. Save money, use high quality ingredients, and reduce environmental waste.
Start your new DIY skincare routine today.
Take good care of yourself and for more skin care tips get my book "Skin Remodeling DIY: An Introduction to the Underground World of Do-It-Yourself Skincare"
xo Deborah